This invention relates generally to holders. More specifically, the present invention relates to a holder for planar or sheet material wherein the holder has a pair of hingedly connected panels and a prong on one panel which is adapted to pass through a hole in the other panel.
The invention is particularly applicable to holders or display devices useful in a retail environment where price sheets and the like need to be displayed to purchasers. However, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention has broader applications and may also be adapted for use in many other environments such as holding a plurality of sheets together or holding a display fixture.
It is conventional practice in retail establishments to indicate the price of merchandise held on shelves with price sheets held to the shelf by some sort of clip. The price sheet may be positioned in a plane parallel to the shelf front edge or in a plane perpendicular to the front edge to call the buyer's attention to the goods.
It is desirable that sheets be mounted securely to prevent accidental or mischievous dislodgment. Previously known clips accomplished this through mechanical locking means, for example, a pin and slot arrangement or gripping teeth which prevent the removal of the sheet except by manually disengaging the locking means. Some such clips are made from several parts to facilitate the removal of sheets. However, such devices are more costly to produce than a one piece device.
A known one-piece clip includes first and second panels that are resiliently connected by a bight. The clip member has sufficient inherent resiliency so that the panel portions are normally biased into a confronting relationship with each other. One of the panel members has a lance which extends through an aperture in the other panel member thereby impaling a sheet of planar material therebetween. However, as this known device is made from a metal, it is disadvantageous in terms of cost. In addition, such a display clip is disadvantageous from the standpoint that it is difficult to pull the first and second panels far enough apart from each other to enable a ready removal and replacement of the held sheet of material with another sheet. In addition, the known clip does not have a means for securing the sheet in place by locking the lance of the first panel to the panel having the aperture.
Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved holder for planar or sheet material which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.